Garments made of materials such as wool, or other coarse, loosely woven materials, present several limitations to the wearer. For instance, many people have sensitive skin. Wool and other garment materials, when worn directly against the skin, cause physical discomfort (itching) for a significant percentage of the population. This can lead to irritation and rash, and many people are unable to wear garments made of wool next to their skin.
Most knitted sweaters commercially available to the consumer do not have a lining. Furthermore, lining a sweater or dress with a permanent liner is expensive and time consuming. Consequently, it would be prohibitively expensive to provide linings for commercial garments and even more so for an individual to have all such garments lined after purchase.
Undergarments provide a barrier between the skin and garment, but undergarments that are generally available have limited use for this problem. For instance, a slip can be worn under a wool dress, but this does not provide protection for the arms. Jacket-style undergarments are not generally available.
Therefore, not many options exist for the protection of the arms of those individuals sensitive to wool or other coarse fabrics, that want to wear sleeved garments made of such material.
Similarly, when used to make garments, the looseness of the weave and porosity of many fabrics, provide an incomplete barrier for ultra violet radiation and also limits the ability of these fabrics to provide thermal insulation or an adequate barrier against wind.